How To Give Your Closet The Ultimate Minimalist Makeover

We’re putting out a “5 Days to Minimalism” series to help you clear clutter from your life really, really quickly. If you want to jump on the minimalism train and streamline your overflowing wardrobe, whether it’s because you want a daily uniform or you just want to downsize, we’re here to help. Below you’ll find wardrobe expert Anuschka Rees’ five-step proces​s to help you simplify, simplify, simplify.

The key idea of minimalism as a lifestyle philosophy is no different from that of minimalism as a style: remove what' nonessential or what isn't working to put a greater focus on what is left. Or, in other words, get rid of everything that doesn't make you happy or enrich your life to make space for stuff that does.

When it comes to minimalist living, there is no one way to do it. Why? Because being a minimalist in itself is not the goal; it's always only a means to an end. And that end is usually less stress and more happiness. Living simply is essentially just a technique that you use to improve your daily life, like yoga, healthy eating, meditation, or whatever else you do to stay happy and sane, and that's why you can pick and choose how and to what extent you want to incorporate aspects of minimalist living into your life. It's not about owning or doing as little as possible. It's about owning and doing the right things, things that add value to your life.

Photo: Anuschka Rees

Here are my top tips to help you evaluate the pieces in your closet that are actually essential to you:

Training yourself to become more selective is the single most effective thing you can do to upgrade your wardrobe. Try to think of your closet as an exclusive, members-only club. Only pieces that you love and are truly excited to wear get an invite. Anything ill-fitting, scratchy, worn-out, barely "good enough," or that simply doesn't suit your personal style is not invited.

Style typologies and lists of "wardrobe essentials" are to style seekers what fad diets are to people who want to lose a few pounds: quick-fix, one-size-fits-all solutions that make you feel as if you are making progress for a while but ultimately won't help you address the root of the problem.

The problem is that a ready-made, one-size-fits-all approach can give you only a ready-made, one-size-fits-all wardrobe. Following rules and blueprints is not going to help you cultivate a strong sense of style, because your personal style is just that: deeply personal. Sure, you may like a lot of the same colors, materials, or cuts as someone else, but the way you combine these into outfits, the pieces you choose for different occasions, and how you style your looks are all a reflection of your unique likes and dislikes and the influences that you have picked up over the years.

Try to think of your closet as an exclusive, members-only club.

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3. Aim for quality: Build a wardrobe of high-quality pieces that last more than just a few years.

Only a few years ago, the concept of "quality over quantity" seemed inherently flawed to me. I thought, why in the world would I want to blow all my money on one pair of jeans, when I can have five pairs instead? The result of this approach was that I usually threw out the majority of my clothes at the end of a season.

Sounds terribly wasteful? It was. Fortunately, my strategy did a complete 180 almost as soon as my goal had shifted from "be fashionable" to "cultivate my own personal style." That process happened quite naturally for me, as it does for most people: once you become more selective about what you keep in your closet, you'll attach a bigger value to each individual piece and will probably no longer be satisfied with cheap, badly manufactured stuff. You'll want clothes that feel good on your skin. Clothes that are sturdy and durable and that won't fall apart after a couple of seasons. Clothes that fit the contours of your body well, without distorting your silhouette or restricting movement.

Photo: Anuschka Rees

4. Style trumps fashion: Get excited about fashion trends that suit your own style, but ignore all others.

Some of the biggest style icons of the last century were people who explicitly did not follow every new trend out there and instead had their own very distinctive looks from which they rarely strayed. Just like music, fashion should be about celebrating creativity and having fun. You should not feel bad about wearing a super-trendy head-to-toe look if you love it, but you also shouldn't feel bad about wearing something that's not in line with what's currently considered to be the look.

5. Put in the work: Invest time and thought into developing your style and selecting the perfect garments.

Like everything in life, styling takes practice. It takes time to train your eye, experiment with different aesthetics, and develop a sense of style that feels natural and effortless to you. It takes time to figure out which types of pieces work best for your lifestyle and to curate a versatile wardrobe. And it takes time to then learn how to best utilize those pieces to create outfits that you love.

The good news is that, no matter what your wardrobe looks like right now, you can get it back in shape and even have fun doing so.

Hi there! My name is Anuschka, I'm a writer, and I live in Berlin, Germany. On my blog I write about how to curate the perfect wardrobe. A wardrobe that reflects your personal style (instead of the latest trends), consists of high-quality pieces (instead of flimsy polyester bargains), and that…

Hi there! My name is Anuschka, I'm a writer, and I live in Berlin, Germany. On my blog I write about how to curate the perfect wardrobe. A wardrobe that reflects your personal style (instead of the latest trends), consists of high-quality pieces (instead of flimsy polyester bargains), and that…